TWENTY-SIXTH FAO REGIONAL
CONFERENCE
FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Merida, Mexico, 10 to 14 April 2000

PLAN OF ACTION PROJECT FOR
AGRICULTURE
IN THE SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES

1. The Commission on Sustainable Development, acting as a preparatory body for the
twenty-second special session of the United Nations General Assembly for the review and
appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development
of Small Island Developing States (SIDS)1, adopted the
following decision:

2. Reaffirming the principles of and commitments to sustainable development
embodied in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Agenda 21, the Declaration
of Barbados and the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS,

3. Recognising that SIDS share a common aspiration for economic development and
improved living standards, and remain strongly committed to conserving the natural and
cultural heritage upon which their future depends, and considering that this review of the
further implementation of the Programme of Action aims to build on agreements already
reached by the SIDS and the international community concerning sustainable development,

4. Recalling that SIDS are recognised as a special case for both environment and
development because they are ecologically fragile and vulnerable, and because they face
particular constraints in their efforts to achieve sustainable development and because
their special physical circumstances often create difficulties in benefiting from global
economic development,

5. Recognising that SIDS communities are custodians of large areas of the
world's oceans and have a high share of global biodiversity, and that they are at the
forefront in the fight against climate change and sea level rise, and that their exposure
to recurrent natural disasters underline the urgent need to take action to implement the
Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS,

6. Convinced that the implementation of the Programme of action must be
accelerated by progress in cross-cutting and interlinked areas of capacity-building,
financing, and technology transfer, acknowledged the central place of the Barbados Global
Conference on Sustainable Development in SIDS.

7. Since the Barbados Conference a number of events have taken place which would have
influenced the UN General Assembly deliberations. In May 1996 a Technical Consultation on
South Pacific Small Island Developing States on Sustainable Development in Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries, in Apia, Somoa. In 1995, the FAO Conference adopted the Code of
Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.

8. Some countries have already started formal programmes to re-design their fisheries
policy and management practices in line with provisions of the Code. FAO has also
developed Technical Guidelines in support of the implementation of the Code.

9. At the World Food Summit in November 1996, Heads of State and Government pledged
their political will and common and national commitment to achieving food security for
all. They called for particular attention to those countries affected by natural disaster
or climate related ecological changes

10. "Small Island Developing States", as pointed out in the Plan of Action of
the World Food Summit, "face the threat of land loss and erosion due to climate
changes and sea level rises and have particular needs for their overall sustainable
development. Improvements in trade, transportation, communication, human resources,
stabilisation of income and higher export earnings will increase food security in these
countries".

11. In March 1999, FAO organised a Ministerial Conference on Agriculture in SIDS, which
prepared a Plan of Action. By focussing on the specific problems of agriculture, including
fisheries and forestry, the Conference dealt with a sector that has a key role to play in
achieving sustainable food security in the framework of economic and social development.
This Plan of Action, provided a basis for activities in support of sustainable
agricultural development in SIDS. Action and policies were designed in particular:

to prepare SIDS for participation in multi-lateral trade negotiations on agriculture;

to develop priority programmes for sustainable, intensified and diversified agricultural
production, forestry and fisheries; and

to address problems related to natural resource management and protection of the
environment.

12. The Special Ministerial Conference on Agriculture in SIDS agreed that the Plan of
Action should focus on the following five commitments:

Adjusting to changes in the Global Trading Environment.

Towards a more intensified, diversified and sustainable agriculture.

Meeting fisheries needs.

Ensuring sustainable management of land, water and forestry resources and environmental
protection.

Capacity building and institutional strengthening.

13. The Conference invited the Director-General of FAO to submit a developed version of
the draft Plan of Action on Agriculture in SIDS to the FAO Council. At the 116th
Session of the Council in June 1999, the Plan of Action was unanimously adopted and the
Director-General was requested to submit it to the Special Session of the UN General
Assembly in September 1999. The Council further recommended that the implementation of the
Plan of Action be accorded high priority

14. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in June 1997, made decisions on the
modalities for the full review of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development
of SIDS. Through its resolution 52/202, the General Assembly reaffirmed commitment to
implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS.

15. Small Island Developing States, share common constraints that impede their efforts
to develop the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors, while preserving their
environment. Among the constraints are fragile ecosystems, vulnerability to natural
hazards, poor communication facilities and dependence on external economic factors. On the
other hand, most island States have the potential to gradually diversify their economies
for export and import substitution, for tourism and for drawing greater benefits from the
fisheries resources of their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ). In determining their
individual development objectives, SIDS can draw benefit from improved exchange of
information with other islands sharing similar problems.

16. The international community, bilateral agencies, non-governmental organisations and
the private sector, have a key role in supporting implementation of the FAO Plan of Action
and the Barbados Plan of Action2.

17. The focus of this paper is on the pivotal role of the agricultural sector in
economic development of the Caribbean Small Island Development States (CSIDS)3 including the low lying developing States of Belize, Guyana
and Suriname.

18. The agricultural sector in CSIDS is so diverse, between countries as well as
regions, in terms of the natural environment, social practices and economic conditions
that it is extremely difficult to address it in a manner that fits all circumstances.
However, there are enough similarities and commonalties to make it worthwhile to identify
the key areas where positive change can assist countries in working toward sustainable
agricultural and rural development. For example, agriculture in many small island
countries is characterised by a combination of large-scale commercial production of
cash-producing export crops and a small-scale sector which produces food crops primarily
for local consumption4.

19. Specific characteristics of the CSIDS include: the open nature of their economies
causing them to be affected by changes in the international economic environment leading
to adverse movement of their terms of trade and balance of payment problems; increased
competition facing domestic produce from imported foods; dependency on a few primary
export products5,; few trading partners and export
markets6, absence of intra-sectoral linkages within
these economies even for products which could be produced easily within countries of the
region; the dependency on tourists from a few countries; evidence of large segments of the
population facing problems of accessing adequate supplies of food, as a consequence of
high poverty levels, high unemployment, declining real incomes and uneven distribution of
benefits from economic growth; low level of investments in agricultural research
notwithstanding that agriculture and fishing are important sectors of most of these
economies and are responsible for a large proportion of domestic food supply7. Contributing to the fragile nature of the CSIDS is their
inclination to natural disasters which impacts negatively on foreign exchange earnings and
food security. These combined characteristics are so complex and inter-related that they
demand attention which goes beyond environmental concerns alone.

20. A number of the CSIDS8, also face the challenge
of eradication of the Tropical Bont Tick (Amblyomma variegatum) from their countries. This
tick transmits Cowdria ruminantium and Dermatophilus congolensis that are
major causes of economic losses Annual losses to the tick and its transmitted diseases has
been put at US$35 million. At the same time the CSIDS spend an excess of US$750 million on
livestock product imports annually. During the past decade many significant new pest
introductions into the Western Hemisphere have occurred through the CSDIS.

21. Aware of the complexity surrounding the achievement of overall sustainable economic
development in the CSIDS and the role agricultural development could play in this, the
following issues should be given priority for implementation in the Caribbean Small Island
Developing States Plan of Action (CSIDS POA). These are:

Agriculture and agricultural trade

Linkages between tourism and agriculture

Natural disaster preparedness and agriculture

Drugs

Poverty alleviation

Environmental protection and sustainable development (including coastal and marine
resources)

Resource mobilisation and finance

AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL TRADE

22. The last decade has seen remarkable developments in the international trade system.
These include the establishment of the World Trade Organisation (WTO); the EU/ACP Lomé
Convention; the formation of the North American Free Trade Area and the pending Free Trade
Area of the Americas (FTAA).

23. The preferential trade agreements which have encouraged exports from the Caribbean
to Europe and from the Caribbean and Central America to the United States have been
revised or will be practically eroded. The WTO ruling on the preferential trading
arrangements for bananas between the EU and the ACP is already impacting very negatively
on the banana industry9. The reduction in subsidies
of beet sugar in the EU as a result of WTO could also impact negatively on the price of
sugar sold in the EU by a number of the CSIDS. Other traditional exports such as rice and
rum are also under threat. Given the importance of these commodities in the earning of
foreign exchange and the generation of employment in a number of CSIDS, their very
socio-economic survival is being threatened.

24. The future market for traditional tropical export commodities is in doubt.
Non-traditional exports are said to be the alternative, but competition for the markets
for these products is intense. It will be imperative that the CSIDS put sound
macro-economic policies in place and create a facilitating environment, including
judicious use of "green box" measures, to increase their comparative advantage
and export competitiveness.

25. Economic policy reforms, often stimulated by the need to borrow from international
institutions, add to the pressure on trading sectors such as agriculture notwithstanding
that many individual countries in the region have already taken significant steps in the
direction of opening up their agricultural economies to trade10.

26. Summarised, three types of impact on the CSIDS are: (1) the commodity-specific
impacts on markets through the changes in market access; (2) the restriction on exports
for preferential goods {banana, sugar, rum and rice}; (3) and difficulty in meeting SPS
requirements.

27. The policy framework in the context of agricultural production and agricultural
trade in assisting the CSIDS Plan of Action should therefore focus on:

improving productivity and competitiveness of production and trade;

enhancing agricultural diversification and increasing food security;

improving access to and transfer of improved technology in agricultural production and
trade;

strengthening capacity for dealing with global economic changes and impacts;

promoting access to funds for implementation of policies and programmes dealing with
issues such as poverty, food security and employment;

increasing and improving the level of agricultural production;

strengthening of capabilities for disease eradication and prevention11;

harmonisation of sanitary and phitosanitary legislation in line with the WTO
SPS-Agreement;

reduction of the risk of introducing pests and diseases by a regional import policies
strengthening intra-regional trade;

formulation of strategies, policies and programmes that encourage sustainable
agricultural production and trade;

compensating for losses due to erosion/deterioration of commodity preferential trade
arrangements;

assisting in creating the enabling environment for investment and external assistance.

LINKAGES BETWEEN TOURISM AND AGRICULTURE

28. It is well recognised that tourism plays a significant role in the economies of
Caribbean countries. It is estimated that in 1998 about 32 million tourists visited the
region, and the 19 million stay-over tourists spent an estimated US$18 billion. A very
high percentage of income earned by the tourist industry has to be spent on importing food
to feed the tourist. Caribbean countries are net food importing countries, with food
imports amounting to about US$2.3 billion per annum, and a negative food trade balance of
US$0.45 billion.

29. Developing agricultural-tourism linkages is one way to increase the impact of
tourism and to foster sustainable economic development. As the CSIDS lose their
preferential markets as a result of globalisation and trade liberalisation, the challenge
for market access increases. The tourism sector on their shores could in effect provide an
almost captive "export" market alternative, to compensate for the disappearing
preferential markets. Strategies for extending the impact of tourism should include:

identification of the current impact of the tourism sector on CSIDS;

assessment of the effect of the changes in employment opportunities, wages and other
determinants;

identification of challenges/opportunities for the agricultural sector and expected
impacts;

assessment of the effects of tourism on natural resources such as land and water use;

NATURAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND AGRICULTURE

30. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are found all over the world. Some have high
population densities which, make them more vulnerable to hazards when compared to larger
islands and continents. The disaster threat to the SIDS is considerable, although not all
countries are exposed to threats of the same type, frequency or severity.

31. Natural phenomena which produce disasters affecting the CSIDS are caused by
meteorological and geological events. The most notorious weather event to produce
disasters in the region is the tropical cyclone (hurricane). An average of 80 tropical
cyclones12 are formed over tropical waters every year13, along with the associated flood and storm surges.

32. A large number of SIDS, including many of the CSIDS are volcanic in nature with
steep slopes and rugged topography, and lie in the principal earthquake zones. A few have
recently had volcanic eruptions. Other CSIDS are very flat or raised atolls (often only a
few metres above sea level), and are vulnerable to a multitude of natural hazards other
than tropical hurricanes, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. In addition, the threat of
global warming might also cause loss of coastal territory and produce an increase in the
frequency of coastal floods due to a rise in sea level. Any single event which causes a
loss of life and great destruction can reverse years of development. Recovery is often
slow and difficult for islands with limited economies.

33. SIDS are nearly wholly coastal zones, with a concentration of population in
relatively small areas. This implies that economic as well as recreational activities are
concentrated on coastal plains, which require integrated management. One of the common
characteristics of SIDS is that natural resources, in particular fresh water, are limited.
This limited resource base allows little room for mistakes in natural resource utilisation
and management.

34. Sustaining the development of SIDS is a very challenging exercise. Factors which
would adversely affect this development could be divided into those relating to
socio-economic issues and those due to natural disasters. The first category includes the
over-exploitation of resources, adverse terms of trade, migration of skills, foreign debt
servicing and drug trafficking. In the other category the devastation and death caused by
natural hazards often bring thriving societies and economies to a sudden halt; and there
is the cost of reconstruction which is often beyond the capabilities of some countries.

35. Agriculture, tourism and fisheries normally make up the prime industries,
contributing to a substantial part of the Gross Domestic Product - (average 20-60%), but
small-scale manufacturing activity is also fairly commonplace. Each of these sectors is
susceptible to the ravages of tropical hurricanes and associated phenomena. Damage to
agriculture is always overwhelming but is often overshadowed by the more dramatic damage
to personal property, homes and buildings, boats, utilities, roads and fallen trees.

36. In recent years a number of severe hurricanes and storms have repeatedly devastated
the agricultural sector of the Region and set back agricultural diversification programs.
Losses while small in absolute terms are enormous in relation to the size and stage of
development of the economies of the affected countries. The contribution of agriculture to
GDP in 1988 for the hurricane affected islands ranged from 4% to 31%. In most of these
islands export agriculture is the principal or second most important earner of foreign
exchange, whilst being a very important source of domestic food supply.

37. Losses suffered by CSIDS as a result of hurricane disaster are of great importance
in terms of the limited financial and natural resources available to these countries. This
situation is further exacerbated by the fact that both export and domestic agriculture
suffer an immediate and sharp fall in output as a result of hurricane damage. This causes
a decline in export earnings and an increase in agricultural imports and hence a
deterioration in the balance of payments on capital and current accounts in the short and
medium term. Efforts to reduce the impact of natural hazards often suffer from the fact
that the irregularity and the uncertainty of the future occurrences of these hazards
foster the notion that they do not qualify for high priority or urgent attention.

38. For example, Hurricane Allen destroyed the entire banana crop and severely damaged
most hotels on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia in 1980. The return to full banana
production took well over one year to be achieved, and it was much longer than that before
tourism returned to normal. Significant unemployment and a dramatic loss of earnings
ensued. Large numbers of private homes, public utilities and other infrastructure
sustained intense damage.

39. When Hurricane David hit Dominica in 1979 serious damage was done to 50 percent of
the 16,000 houses on the island, and 2,000 houses were completely destroyed. Two thirds of
the island's population of 80,000 were left homeless The banana industry was completely
destroyed and took several years to completely recover. Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, caused
severe destruction in Jamaica with hundreds of millions of United States dollars in
damage.

40. A mechanism for combating the impact of natural disasters must be prepared. This
mechanism must include long-term measures aimed at the provision of early warning
mechanisms and the establishment and enforcement of local preventative measures along with
community education, preparedness, response and rehabilitation.

41. The consideration of climate change issues invokes certain options concerning
possible responses to sea level rise, such as the construction of sea-walls and
reclamation and maintenance of reclaimed land, installation of pumping and drainage
systems, land raising and beach nourishment projects, all of which are very costly.

42. Strategies for disaster preparedness and mitigation in CSIDS should focus on:

Adoption of appropriate farming practices;

Increased public awareness;

Supporting national physical development and land use planning;

The development of properly financed national preparedness and mitigation programmes;

Training in damage and needs assessment techniques;

Development of strategies and policies for rehabilitation and development programmes in
the food and agricultural sectors;

Strengthening the meteorological and hydrological data acquisition, telecommunication
and data-processing infrastructure to improve forecasting of hurricanes;

Investing in physical and institutional infrastructure and specific programmes for
preparedness and mitigation.

DRUGS

43. The influence of illicit drugs continues to grow. Despite its illegality, the drug
trade in some cases provides basic necessities for economic survival. It is therefore
indisputable that there is a link between drugs and their implications for development.

44. The financial and employment effects generated by the illicit drug trade shadow the
negative side effects on the economic, social and environmental front. In 1995 it was
estimated that the global drug trade had an annual turnover of about US$500 billion
compared to US$62 billion spent on development assistance in 1992.

45. The global area devoted to poppy cultivation was then estimated to have been
260,000 ha producing 3,700 tonnes of opium - equivalent to 370 tonnes of heroin. The
cultivation of coca in 1992 occupied nearly 220,000 ha with an output of 340,000 tonnes of
coca leaf. Marijuana cultivation is reportedly on the rise.

46. The CSIDS are located right between the major producing and consuming countries and
are at great risk. They constitute a unique and homogeneous geographical chain to
facilitate the illicit drug trade. Hundreds of small boats, cargo and cruise ships,
private and commercial aeroplanes move daily between these islands. According to the
Caribbean Drug Control Co-ordinating Mechanism, about half of the total cocaine production
leaving South America for world markets goes through the Caribbean.

47. International traffickers consider the Caribbean in its entirety as a crucial
gateway to reach the North American and, increasingly, the European markets. Moreover, the
Caribbean as a prime tourist location is an interesting market. In addition, the cartels
usually try to return their profits to the Caribbean for money laundering purposes.

48. No figures exist relative to the number of small farmers in the CSIDS employed in
the illicit small-scale cultivation of marijuana on remote lands often in conjunction with
traditional crops. Caribbean governments are aware of the dangers posed by the drug trade.
In recognition of this, governments are taking significant steps, including strengthening
police drug squads and coast guards, participating in counter-drug operations, adopting
stronger anti-drug-money-laundering legislation and entering into regional and
international law enforcement co-operation.

49. In 1996 the Regional Meeting on Drug Control Co-ordination and Co-operation in the
Caribbean approved the Barbados Plan of Action for Drug Control. The transit traffic in
illicit drugs, however, was undermining and threatening to their peace and security. The
Plan of action included recommendations on national drug bodies, legislation, law
enforcement, demand reduction measures and maritime co-operation.

50. In fighting the drug problem the agricultural sector could play an important role
in providing economic opportunities for those involved in the production and trafficking
of illicit drugs. The recommendations of the Barbados Plan of Action for Drug Control
could be amended to include the creation of alternative economic opportunities outside of
illicit drugs.

51. Some strategic options for linking the fighting of drugs through agriculture and
devoting financial and other resources toward agricultural activities are:

developing alternative development strategies for rural areas in order to substitute for
illicit drug production;

institutional, political and economic stability/reduction of inflation

improved agricultural production and food security

generation of legitimate job opportunities

helping farmers to improve their standard of living without having to fear the law

reduction of crime

POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND FOOD SECURITY

53. Poverty has been on the rise in the Caribbean over the last two to three decades,
despite considerable growth throughout the region in the 1980s. Today the spread of
poverty, continues to increase. Inadequate macro and sectoral development economic
policies including poverty alleviation policies contribute to the increase in poverty.

54. The low level of competitiveness, particularly in the agricultural sector,
contributes to worsening of the economic situation. This situation is likely to worsen as
a result of the implementation of trade agreements under the WTO that will lead to
complete openness of Caribbean markets to all agricultural producers. In other instances
preferential trade agreements for bananas, sugar and rice, will erode, with direct
implications for employment and foreign exchange earnings, causing poverty to increase
further.

55. The characteristics of poverty in the CSIDS vary considerably from one country to
another. Although, according to some sources, poverty is a predominantly rural phenomenon
in the CSIDS. The per capita income, which is often cited as a helpful indicator of the
poverty level for the CSIDS, varied from US$160 in Haiti to about US$15,000 in the Bahamas
in 1996. Countries with a per capita criteria below US$2,000 included Cuba, Dominican
Republic, Jamaica, Guyana and Suriname, where large sections of society in both rural and
urban areas live below the poverty line. Vulnerable groups include old, pre-school and
primary-school children and the disabled. The Caribbean Development Bank noted in the
"Poverty Assessment Report" for St. Vincent and the Grenadines that 35 percent
of households and 41.9 percent of the population were categorised as poor, while 30.5
percent of households, and 36.2 percent of the population were considered indigent14. Estimates for Suriname indicate that persons/households
living below the poverty line in 1993 varied between 30-70 percent and the trend is
increasing.

56. Poverty assessment studies conducted in the Caribbean showed that major
determinants of poverty and vulnerability included:

lack of alternatives to using children as family workers on farms or in other business

low productivity and misuse of the small animals production systems of the small farmers

division of family land to children resulting in a decrease in economies of scale

limited resources to acquire adequate nutrition and to pay for health care and education

57. Being aware of the increase in poverty in the Caribbean, the United Nations
convened a Ministerial Meeting on Poverty Eradication in Trinidad and Tobago in October
1996, at which the Directional Plan of Action for Poverty Eradication in the Caribbean was
Drafted and approved. The measures outlined in the Directional Plan of Action are a
necessary complement to strategies for sustainable economic growth. The Directional Plan
of Action was divided into 10 main areas. For each area, existing problems were
identified, an assessment made of the situation and a description given of the constraints
and opportunities, goals and targets, strategies and actions.

58. The complexity of poverty problems demands an integrated approach of all sectors of
the economy. Education is important but health and social welfare are equally important.
As primary sectors, agriculture, livestock, fisheries and forestry have a major role to
play since poverty is found in rural areas. Due to the fact that the purchase of food,
consumes the bulk of the income of the poor and the usual close correlation between
poverty and food insecurity, it follows that poverty alleviation or its reduction must be
given high priority if food security is to be improved. Strategies of CSIDS to alleviate
poverty should therefore embrace:

funding and support to impact assessment studies of trade liberalisation on rural and
urban poverty

policies to increase food security and reduce food imports

increased agricultural research and development efforts aimed at increased productivity

promotion and facilitation of the financing of cottage industries and micro-enterprise
linked with the agricultural sector

increased investment in modernisation of agricultural production and its expansion

ensuring that policy and legal environments are appropriate for viable provision of
financial services

improvement in access to land

promotion of mixed agriculture and livestock production systems for small farmers and
other related policies and programmes which directly impact upon rural and urban poor.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Land

59. The 1994 Barbados Plan of Action for sustainable development of SIDS addresses, as
part of its 15 programme areas, considerations and actions on environmental and natural
resources conservation. The economic performance of most Caribbean SIDS and low-lying
states is dominated by their dependence on renewable natural resources, mainly
agriculture, fisheries and forestry. In countries such as the Bahamas, Barbados and
Antigua & Barbuda where agriculture is not the mainstay of the economy, economic well
being is supported by the aesthetic value of beaches and clean unpolluted seas for tourism
and recreation.

60. The exploitation of crude oil resources in Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago; gold
in Guyana and Suriname, and bauxite in Guyana, Jamaica and Suriname contributes
substantially to these economies.

SELECTED SECTOR CONTRIBUTION TO GDP
AS THEY RELATE TO NATURAL RESOURCE USE

TOURISM

%

AGRICULTURE

%

MINING

%

Antigua

32.9

Belize

19.6

Guyana

17.0

Bahamas

60.0

Dominica

20.2

Jamaica

7.1

Barbados

14.5

Guyana

48.8

Suriname

12.6

Haiti

40.0

Trinidad & Tobago

27.3

Dom. Republic

14.0

St. Vincent & The Grenadines

14.1

61. Natural resources of direct concern for protection include land, forests and
fisheries, and directly linked are fresh water reserves. Non-renewable resources such as
bauxite, crude oil and natural gas, and gold are of concern regarding their exploitation
practices and the destructive impact this activity can have on land, fresh/ground water,
forest and fishery resources, if not properly managed.

62. Land is a very fragile resource which can be eroded or damaged in such a manner
that it becomes useless if not properly managed. Planning, management and legislation are
therefore important issues when considering the sustainable use of land. This calls for
the formulation of policies for promoting appropriate agricultural practices to maintain
soil productivity and sound chemical use in order to prevent pollution of the soil and
ground water as well as adequate handling of land when exploiting bauxite or other mineral
resources. Avoidance of deforestation should be promoted to eliminate wastage of valuable
top soil through erosion. The diversified use of land for agricultural production and food
security, housing, industrial development and recreation requires sustainable development
use. This should be supported by legislation and proper land use planning and management.
Agriculture, which is a user of the resource, has a central role to play and should be
directly involved in the planning of the use of the resource and its management.

63. The role of FAO is to assist the CSIDS, in the integrated planning and utilisation
of land resources including inland and coastal areas. Stakeholder participation in
decision making is crucial. Areas of support should also focus on promotion of
economically feasible integrated production systems, including integrated plant nutrient
systems; promotion of irrigation systems where technically and economically feasible and
environmentally viable; promotion of water harvesting and runoff mixed farming techniques,
considering crops and farm animals and strengthening the sustainability and profitability
of existing sound farming systems.

Fisheries

64. While men are mainly responsible for exploiting the fishery resource, women play an
important role in the processing and marketing of fish caught by artisanal and small-scale
fishermen. The industrial processing of fish is also a female-dominated activity.

65. A characteristic of the fishery resource is its open entry and common ownership
which endangers its long-term sustainability and indirectly its contribution to GDP and
food supply. While the Caribbean is endowed with good fishery resources, importation of
frozen, salted and canned fish is high.. The fishery resource - marine, coastal and inland
water resources and their supporting habitat - coral reefs, mangrove and estuarine -
requires planning for its use and management and for biological and economic
sustainability. Since these water resources are also used for shipping, pollution of the
water is a risk and should be avoided.

66. Among the problems facing the fishery resource of CSIDS are:

overexploitation of traditional fishery resources

underutilization of non-traditional pelagic and deep-sea species

inadequate institutional strength and capacity of the public sector to manage the
fishery resource

high post-harvest losses due to poor fish-handling, limited storage and processing
facilities and weak marketing systems

new and weak private sector industries affecting optimisation of the fishery resource
potential

lack of control and management of the fishery resource in the EEZ

uncontrolled exploitation of the resource by illegal foreign fishing boats.

67. Recognising the importance of the fishery resource, the Conference of Parties to
the UN Biodiversity Convention agreed that all parties would prepare a National
Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. In addition, the Kyoto Plan of Action, the
International Coral Reef Initiative stressed the development of a relevant policy
framework for sustainable development of the fisheries of SIDS.

68. In supporting fisheries and aquaculture development in the CSIDS, FAO could
collaborate in the following areas:

Strengthening and enhancement of effective regional co-operation in fisheries
development and management and increased assistance in the implementation of the Code of
Conduct for Responsible Fisheries;

Promotion of fisheries of coastal pelagic stocks and ensure CSIDS participation in the
fishery and management of migratory oceanic pelagic species;

Assistance in development of a joint programmes of action for fisheries development
among CSIDS.

Assist and collaborate in the collection and evaluation of available data on large
pelagic species

Enhance conservation and management of EEZ fisheries: the requirement to intensify
inshore conservation and management drawing and to institute measures to relocate fishing
effort from inshore to offshore areas so that the resources of the EEZ are utilised fully
and rationally;

Institutional strengthening: to foster the development of effective and competent
national fisheries administrations and to strengthen the fisheries conservation and
management capacity of these administrations;

Strengthening the economic role of national fisheries industries and the privatisation
of fisheries investments.

Aquaculture and inland fisheries conservation, management and development through the
introduction or strengthening of aquaculture and inland fisheries where feasible.

RESOURCE MOBILISATION AND FINANCE

69. More than 800 million people in developing countries suffer from chronic
malnutrition. In these countries it is estimated that agriculture-related investment, over
the 1990-2010 period is US$166 billion per year, an increase of about 25% over the
preceding decade. About 75% of this, as in the past, would need to be provided by farmers
investing their own labour and funds. The remaining US$41 billion per year would need to
come from governments and international aid sources. External assistance to agriculture by
bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, however, has fallen sharply in recent years. After
climbing from US$12 billion per year in the early 1980s to nearly US$16 billion in 1988,
international assistance to agriculture in developing countries fell to around US$10
billion in 1995

70. In addition to the general reduction of international aid to agriculture in the
developing countries, many of the CSIDS are heavily indebted, with debt repayment now
consuming a significant percentage of the GDP or foreign exchange earnings. Greater debt
forgiveness could for example, permit governments to devote more financial resources
towards the promotion of "Green Box' measures as a means of domestic support to
agricultural development that is WTO compliant. Particular areas deserving such support
could include: research; pest and disease control, training; extension services and
infrastructural services.

71. Most of the CSIDS are unable to access multi-lateral concessional loans, due to the
fact that they are largely middle-income developing countries, other avenues need to be
targeted therefore, to ensure that adequate finances can be mobilised to promote and
achieve their sustainable development.

72. To create the policy framework and conditions so that optimal public and private
investments are encouraged in equitable and sustainable development, governments, in
co-operation with all actors of civil society, international and private financing
institutions, and technical assistance agencies, should as appropriate:

Promote policies and measures to enhance the flow of investments in agriculture;

Give priority to human resource development and strengthen public institutions, in
enhancing their role in promotional increased investment in agriculture;

Promote national commitment to regional integration for sharing resources, harmonisation
and co-operation towards a regional interdependence for support and strength;

Encourage the development of public and private partnerships and other institutions in
promoting socially and environmentally responsible investment and re-investment from
domestic and foreign resources;

Strengthen co-operation, at the regional and international level, to share the costs of
investments in areas of common interest, such as appropriate technology through
collaborative research and transfer as well as the sharing of investment experiences.

73. To mobilise and optimise the use of technical and financial resources from all
sources, including debt relief, in order to raise investment activities for agriculture in
the CSIDS, governments in co-operation with the international community and all actors of
civil society, as well as international and private financing institutions, should, as
appropriate:

Undertake to raise sufficient and stable funding from private and public, domestic and
foreign sources;

Encourage investment to create infrastructures and management systems that facilitate
sustainable utilisation and management of land and water resources and promote food
security;

Strengthen efforts toward fulfilment of the agreed ODA target of 0.7% of GNP;

Promote mechanisms to provide greater access to credit, including micro-credit, equally
for men and women; and

Intensify the search for practical and effective solutions to debt problems of
developing countries, including the initiatives of the Bretton Woods Group, to reduce the
total external debt burden of the heavily indebted poor countries.

_______________________________

1 These are the 30 Small Island Developing
and low-lying coastal states that are members of the AOSIS and of FAO (Antigua and
Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cape Verde, Comoros, Cook Islands, Cuba, Cyprus,
Dominica, Fiji, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Jamaica, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Papua
New Guinea, Samoa, Sao Tomé and Principe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, St. Kitts and
Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago,
Vanuatu) and three non-AOSIS island states that are members of FAO (Bahrain, Dominican
Republic and Haiti).

2 Such support could facilitate the adoption
of appropriate national policies and, where necessary and appropriate, provide technical
and financial assistance to help SIDS in fostering food security.

4 This structure is in a transition and is
driven by changing world markets, trade imbalances, the quest for food security and
growing human populations. The limited land area, the paucity of soils suitable for
agriculture and the exposure to natural hazards, have led to a significant dependence on
expensive food imports

5 sugar, rum, bananas, rice and fishery
products

6 mainly preferential markets, EU, USA and
Canada

7 The importance of agriculture and fishing
industry for the supply of proteins, contribution to employment, GDP, and foreign exchange
earnings; poverty head count index of 20% or more with some countries scoring more than
40%; the ratio of total debt service to total exports of goods and services continuing to
show an increasing trend, currently around 20% with some countries having rations
exceeding 50%

8 Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis,
Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia

9 Whereas, for example in the past, the
English-speaking CSIDS and Suriname had specific individual country quotas for export of
bananas into the EU, this will now be aggregated into a common ACP quota

10 The prospect of further liberalisation in
agriculture, combined with trade preferences in overseas markets impinges on the ability
of the CSIDS to defend their domestic markets and put the CSIDS in an uncomfortable trade
environment

11 (e.g. FMD, heartwater)

12 also known as typhoons or hurricanes

13 producing winds in excess of 118 km/h and
occasionally up to 300 km/h in the most severe cases

14 Estimates for the poverty line and indigence
line were at US$101.29 and US$88.53 per person respectively.